Exhaust gas conditioner



May 15, 1956 c. E. STOLTZ EXHAUST GAS CONDITIONER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 30. 1954 GNY- L INVENTOR. Charles E. Stoltz ATTORNEY May 15, 1956c. E. STOLTZ EXHAUST GAS CONDITIONER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 30,1954 mK mK INVENTOR. Charles E. Stoltz ATTORNEY May 15, 1956 c. E.STOLTZ EXHAUST GAS CONDITIONER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed March INVENTOR.Charles E. Stoltz ATTORNEY United States Patent- 6 EXHAUST GASCONDITIONER Charles E. Stoltz, Chicago, Ill., assignor to GoodmanManufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of IllinoisApplication March 30, 1954, Serial No. 419,876

Claims. (Cl. 261-123) This invention relates generally to the devicesfor conditioning the exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the like, andmore particularly to improved apparatus whereby the amount of liquid forconditioning the exhaust gases may be varied in accordance with theoperation of the engine.

Because of the low carbon monoxide content of the exhaust gases from adiesel engine, it is possible to operate diesel-powered locomotives in amine underground. However, the exhaust gases contain certain noxiousconstituents such as oxides of sulfur and nitrogen, and certain organiccompounds such as aldehydes and acrolein. All of these last constituentsare miscible in water, and can be removed from the gases by the bubblingof same beneath a body of water.

in accordance with mine safety codes, the presence of such noxiousmaterials in the exhaust gases must be kept below a stated minimum.Ordinarily this has been possible with the relatively inefficientconditioners of the prior art only when the locomotive is moving atrelatively high speed, or ventilating air is flowing rapidly past it, soas to dilute the noxious gases that get through the conditioner in theventilating air stream. An idling operation, and at relatively slowspeeds, however, when the diluting efiect of the moving air stream isrelatively inefiective, the percentage of such noxious constituents ishigher than at the normal running condition; at such time, it obviouslywould be desirable to provide a larger volume of conditioning liquidthrough which the exhaust gases may bubble, and to conserve the liquidat other times when less is required for conditioning.

A problem in the past with conventional conditioners has been that,whenever sufiicient conditioning liquid is used to properly treat andremove the noxious gases during idling, a substantial amount of thisconditioning liquid has been blown out when the locomotive is operatingat high speed. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention totake the liquid which rises above a predetermined level during highspeed operation, and which would be carried out of the conditioner, andtransfer it to a storage compartment from whence it is returned wheneverthe engine speed slows down.

According to the present invention the exhaust gases from a dieselengine are bubbled through a quantity of conditioning liquid, the gasestaking a tortuous path therethrough. During idling, the amount of liquidis maintained at a desirable maximum, but under conditions when theengine is operating at higher speeds, only a smaller amount ofconditioning liquid is required, and under such conditions the excess ofconditioning liquid is caused to pass from one chamber into an auxiliarychamber where it is stored until required for the idling or low loadcondition of the engine.

The invention accordingly comprehends the provision of means which willact automatically to cause transfer of the excess of liquid from onechamber into the auxiliary chamber, and more particularly the provisionof means controlling the pressure within the auxiliary chamher fordetermining the amount of liquid held in such auxiliary chamber.

With the foregoing considerations in mind it is a principal object ofthis invention to provide a conditioner for the exhaust gases from adiesel-powered mine locomotive or the like, Where the liquid employed inconditioning the gases is varied in amount in accordance with theoperating condition of the engine.

Other objects and important features of the invention will be apparentfrom a study of the following specification taken with the drawingswhich together show a preferred embodiment of the invention, and what isnow considered to be the best mode of practicing the principles.

thereof. Other embodiments of the invention may be suggested to thosehaving the benefit of the teachings herein, and it is accordinglyintended that the scope of the invention not be limited by the preciseembodiment herein shown, such other embodiments being intended to bereserved especially as they fall within the scope and purview of thesubjoining claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation view of an exhaust gas conditioner for adiesel mine locomotive or the like, certain parts being broken away inorder to show details of construction of such conditioner;

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, certain parts being broken away to showadditional details of construction;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, certainparts thereof being shown in end ele-.

generally by the reference numeral 10, andincludes a.

walled housing comprising a front Wall 11, a back wall 12, and oppositeend walls 13 and 14. The walls 11, 12, 13 and 14 extend upward from abottom 16, and the walled chamber includes a top 17 provided with aclosure 18 held to the top 17 by cap screws 18a.

Exhaust gases enter the housing described at a flange 19 to be dispersedevenly throughout the length of an expansion chamber 21, extending forthe length of the front Wall 11, and defined by a generally semicircularwall 22 and a lower wall 23 both spaced from the front wall 11, thelower wall 23 being turned inward from the front wall 11 as at 2%. Theinward extension 24 is spaced above the bottom 16 as seen in Fig. 3 andthe gases entering at the flange 19 are thus expanded within thecharnber 21 to pass between the extension 24 and the bottom 16 to bubbleup through a body of liquid contained within a chamber 25 within thehousing.

As seen in Fig. 3, the back wall 12 is provided with a filling elbow 26closed by a plug 27 so that the chamber can be filled to a level LL,which level is maintained when the engine is stopped.

The gases leaving the expansion chamber 21 are conditioned by bubblingthereof through the body of liquid contained within the chamber 25. Thepressure of the engine gases causes the chamber 21 to be emptied ofliquid and the liquid torise in chamber 25 to the level marked idlingwater level during idling of the engine.

It is desirable to have the gases take as tortuous a path as possiblethrough the body of liquid contained with in the chamber 25, and to thisend the gases emerging from beneath the extension 24 are diverted withinthe chamber 25 by a bafiie 28 held at each end by weldments, not shown,to the inside of the end walls 13 and 1 expansion chamber 21, the bafiie29 being additionally secured at its end by weldments, not shown, to theopposite end walls 13 and 14. V V

The gases bubbling up through the body of liquid within chamber 25entrap the liquid in the form of a mist or the like, and such entrappedliquid is wrung out from the gases by additional baffling members now tobe de scribed. To this end baffiing members 32 and 33 are securedrespectively by weldments 34 and 36 to a wall 37 of an auxiliary chamber38, said chamber 3% being provided with a bottom 39. The wall 37 and thebottom 39 are welded at their ends to the opposed end walls 13 and 14.In addition to the baffies 32 and 33, the gases must move past bafiles41 and 42, baffle 42 being secured by a weldment 43 to the curved Wall22 of the expansion chamber 21.

The gases which have been thus conditioned leave the chamber 25 by meansof a vertical pipe 44 which is joined by an elbow 46, see Fig. l, inturn joined to a pipe 47. An elbow 48 is joined to the pipe 47, see alsoFig. 2, and the gases emerge from the chamber 25 by means of a pipe 43passing through the front wall 11.

As seen in Fig. 3, the bafile 41 is held to the vertical pipe 44 bymeans of a circular weldment 40.

Before emerging from the chamber 25 by the piping system consisting ofthe pipes 44-, 47, 49 and elbows 46 and 48, the gases are additionallyseparated from their entrained liquid by means of a frustro-conicalbafile 53 welded to the underside of the closure 13. As seen in Fig. 3,the conical baffle 53 surrounds the pipe 44 to cause the emerging gasesto take an additional tortuous path. Any water wrung out from the gasesby the conical baffles 51 and 53 is returned to the body of liquid bymeans of openings 54 formed in the conical bathe i.

Under conditions when the engine is operating at high speeds, less wateris required to condition the gases, since under such conditions thelocomotive is moving in the ambient which dilutes the gases readily. Inorder to conserve the conditioning liquidfor the idling operationpreviously described, the liquid is accordingly moved in part by thehigher pressures from the exhaust gases into the auxiliary chamber 38.The chamber 33 accordingly has an opening 56 in the bottom 39 formovement of the liquid, and a metering opening 57 at the top of the wall37 controlling the pressure within chamber 33. In order to provide for adifferential pressure between the chamber 25 and the auxiliary chamber33 by means of throttling taking plate at the metering opening 57, thechamber 38 is vented by means of a pipe 58 having a valve 59 therein.The metering opening 57 and the valve 59 are thus arranged to give alower pressure condition within the chamber 38 so that the liquid mayrise therein to the high speed level shown.

The valve 59 may accordingly be cracked, so as to regulate the pressurewithin the chamber and the height of the liquid there-in.

Means are provided to give a visual indication of the proper level ofthe liquid within the chamber 33, and to this end a water gauge 61 ishoused within a circular recess 62 in the back wall 12:. Said waterlevel gauge is supported at its lower end in a fitting s3, and thebottom of the tube thereof is open as at 64 to the chamber 25. The up erend of the tube 61 is also held in a similar fitting 66 and the upperend of the tube is open to the pressure within the chamber 33 by meansof intersecting passageways 67 and 63 formed in the top 17 of thehousing, the passageway d3 being closed by means of a plate 6? welded tothe top plate 17. A clean-out plug 71 may be tapped into the plate 69 sothat the tube may be cleaned as desired.

At the cl so of a shift tr e entire chamber 25 may be cleaned atclean-out openings 72 disposed in the end walls 13 and 14. Saidclean-out openings are closed by a plate 73 and a gasket 74 held inplace by a pressure arm 76. The pressure arm '76 is held in place bymeans of a latch 77 and the pressure against the plate 73 is exerted bya ball 75, pressure being adjusted by means of a nut 78 threaded to astud 79 extending from the end wall 14.

Back siphoning of liquid from thechamber 25 when the engine cools afteroperation is prevented by an opening provided in the wall 22 above thelevel of the liquid. It will be apparent that the exhaust manifold ofthe engine which is connected to the conditioner at the flange 1?, isthus connected to ambient through the outlet pipe 49 from the chamber25..

From the foregoing description it is believed apparent that there hasbeen provided a novel improvement in devices for conditioning theexhaust gases from a diesel engine or the like. According to theinvention an atuiiliary supply of conditioning liquid is made availableduring idling of the engine when the locomotive is generally in astationary position, at which time the noxious constituents of theexhaust gases would tend to be greatly concentrated at one point. Underthe high speed condition of the engine, when the locomotive is generallymoving in the ambient, suficient water only is provided to condition thegases, the excess of water being moved into the auxiliary chamber to beheld available for a resumption of the idling condition.

While the invention has been described in a preferred embodimentthereof, it is intended that the scope of the invention be limited onlyby the claims here appended.

I claim as my invention: 7

l. A conditioner for exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a walled housing, a vertical partition spaced from one of thewalls of said housing so as to divide said housing into two side-by-sidewalled chambers, one of said chambers being connected to an exhaustmanifold so asto enable exhaust gases to be expanded therein, a body ofliquid contained in said other chamber, an opening between said twochambers so as to enable the exhaust gases to move from said firstchamber to the second to bubble up through the liquid contained in saidsecond chamber, an auxiliary chamber communicating with said secondchamber and arranged to receive water from said second chamber when thepressure from said exhaust gases is in excess of a predetermined amount,and to discharge liquid back into said second chamber when the pressurefrom said exhaust gases decreases below a predetermined amount, meansfor regulating the amount of liquid moving from said second chamber tothe auxiliary chamber by controlling the pressure within said auxiliarychamber including a metering passageway connecting said second chamberand said auxiliary chamber, and means for regulating the flow throughsaid metering passageway.

2. A conditioner for exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a walled housing, a vertical partition spaced from one of thewalls of said housing so as to divide said housing into two side-by-sidewalled chambers, one of said chambers being connected to an exhaustmanifold so as to enable exhaust gases to be expanded therein, a body ofliquid contained in said other chamber, an opening between said twochambers so as to enable the exhaust gases to move from said firstchamber to the second to bubble up through the liquid contained in saidsecond chamber, an auxiliary chamber communicating with said secondchamber only and arranged to receive water from said second chamber whenthe pressure from said exhaust gases is in excess of a predeterminedamount, and to discharge liquid back into said second chamber when thepressure from said exhaust gases decreases below a predetermined amount,and means means for controlling the pressure within said auxiliarychamber.

3. A conditioner for exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a walled housing, a vertical partition spaced from one of thewalls of said housing so as to divide said housing into two side-by-sidewalled chambers, one of said chambers being connected to an exhaustmanifold so as to enable exhaust gases to be expanded therein, a body ofliquid contained in said other chamber, an opening between said twochambers so as to enable the exhaust gases to move from said firstchamber to the second to bubble up through the liquid contained in saidsecond chamber, an auxiliary chamber communicating with said secondchamber only and arranged to receive liquid from said second chamberwhen the pressure from said exhaust gases is in excess of apredetermined amount, and to discharge liquid back into said secondchamber when the pressure from said exhaust gases decreases below apredetermined amount, and means providing regulatable communication ofsaid auxiliary chamber with the atmosphere for regulating the amount ofliquid moving from said second chamber to said auxiliary chamber.

4. A conditioner for exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a walled housing, a vertical partition spaced from one of thewalls of said housing so as to divide said housing into two side-by-sidewalled chambers, one of said chambers being connected to an exhaustmanifold so as to enable exhaust gases to be expanded therein, a body ofliquid contained in said other chamber, an opening between said twochambers so as to enable the exhaust gases to move from said firstchamber to the second to bubble up through the liquid contained in saidsecond chamber, means for providing a tortuous path of said gasesthrough said liquid, and an auxiliary chamber communicating with saidsecond chamber only and arranged to receive liquid from said secondchamber when the pressure from said exhaust gases is in excess of apredetermined amount, and to discharge liquid back into said secondchamber when the pressure from said exhaust gases decreases below apredetermined amount, the level in said auxiliary chamber being adjustedby means controlling the pressure therewithin.

5. A conditioner for exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a walled housing, a vertical partition spaced from one of thewalls of said housing so as I to divide said housing into twoside-by-side walled chambers, one of said chambers being connected to anexhaust manifold so as to enable exhaust gases to be expanded therein, abody of liquid contained in said other chamber, an opening between saidtwo chambers so as to enable the exhaust gases to move from said firstchamber to the second to bubble up through the liquid contained in saidsecond chamber, and an auxiliary chamber communicating with said secondchamber only and arranged to receive liquid from said second chamberwhen the pressure from said exhaust gases is in excess of apredetermined amount, and to discharge liquid back into said secondchamber when the pressure from said exhaust gases decreases below apredetermined amount, said auxiliary chamber having regulatablecommunication with the atmosphere.

6. A conditioner for the exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a chamber having a quantity of conditioning liquid therein,means for introducing exhaust gases from said engine below the surfaceof said liquid, a second chamber in communication with said firstchamber, said second chamber being arranged to receive conditioningliquid from said first chamber when the pressure of said exhaust gasesincreases beyond a predetermined amount and being arranged to returnconditioning liquid to said first chamber when the pressure of saidexhaust gases is below a predetermined amount, means for regulating theamount of liquid moving from said first chamber comprisingpressure-controlling apparatus including a metering passagewayconnecting said first chamber with said second chamber, and means forregulating the flow through said metering passageway.

7. A conditioner for the exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a chamber having a quantity of conditioning liquid therein,means for introducing exhaust gases from said engine below the surfaceof said liquid, a second chamber in communication with said firstchamber, said second chamber being arranged to receive conditioningliquid from said first chamber when the pressure of said exhaust gasesincreases beyond a predetermined amount and being arranged to returnconditioning liquid to said first chamber when the pressure of saidexhaust gases is below a predetermined amount, and means for regulatingthe amount of liquid moving from said first chamber to said secondchamber comprising means for regulating the pressure within said secondchamber.

8. A conditioner for the exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a chamber having a quantity of conditioning liquid therein,means for introducing exhaust gases from said engine below the surfaceof said liquid, a second chamber in communication with said firstchamber, said second chamber being arranged to receive conditioningliquid from said first chamber when the pressure of said exhaust gasesincreases beyond a predetermined amount and being arranged to returnconditioning liquid to said first chamber when the pressure of saidexhaust gases is below a predetermined amount, and means for regulatingthe amount of conditioning liquid moving from said first chamber to saidsecond chamber by regulatable communication of said second chamber withthe atmosphere.

9. A conditioner for the exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a chamber having a quantity of conditioning liquid therein,means for introducing exhaust gases from said engine below the surfaceof said liquid, means for providing a tortuous path of said gasesthrough said liquid, and a second chamber in communication with saidfirst chamber, including means for controllably connecting said secondchamber to ambient, said second chamber being arranged to receiveconditioning liquid from said first chamber when the pressure of saidexhaust gases increases beyond a predetermined amount and being arrangedto return conditioning liquid to said first chamber when the pressure ofsaid exhaust gases is below a predetermined amount.

10. A conditioner for the exhaust gases from a diesel engine or the likecomprising a walled chamber having a quantity of conditioning liquidtherein, means for introducing exhaust gases from said engine below thesurface of said liquid, and a second chamber in communication with saidwalled chamber, said second chamber being arranged to receiveconditioning liquid from said walled chamber when the pressure of saidexhaust gases increases beyond a predetermined amount and being arrangedto return conditioning liquid to said walled chamber when the pressureof said exhaust gases is below a predetermined amount, additional meansfor causing communication between said chamber and said walled chamber,and controlled means connecting said second chamber to ambient so as toregulate the amount of conditioning liquid going into said secondchamber.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS724,124 Perkins Mar. 31, 1903 1,017,900 Phillips Feb. 20, 1912 1,367,164Miller Feb. 1, 1921 1,524,333 Brand et a1 Ian. 27, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS38,303 Germany Jan. 17, 1887 316,594 Germany Dec. 2, 1919 370,219Germany Feb. 28, 1923

